Program Overview

Thesis Defense Training

The Thesis Defense Training is a course designed for advanced doctoral candidates to prepare them for their thesis defense. The course is free of charge and limited to a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 participants from the University of Basel.

Course Information

• Date:
  • Thursday, 12. M‰rz 2026, 09:00 Uhr bis 14:00 Uhr
  • Friday, 13. M‰rz 2026, 09:00 Uhr bis 17:00 Uhr
• Registration start: 21.01.2026, 09:00 Uhr
• Registration deadline: 12.02.2026, 12:00 Uhr
• Instructor: Dr. Malte Engel
• Organized by: Graduate Center, Transferable Skills

Objectives

The participants will be able to:

• Give a convincing and well-structured presentation
• Respond confidently to critical questions and counterarguments
• Be well-prepared and feel confident about their thesis defense

Course Content

The course is divided into three parts:

• Practical tips for the introductory presentation: structuring the presentation, building the central argument, language use, etc.
• Typical problems during the discussion: responding to criticism and "killer-questions", dealing with stage fright and black-outs, etc.
• Participants will give their presentation and receive feedback from the group and the trainer.
• Contents include:
  • The opening of the thesis defense presentation
  • How to structure the thesis defense presentation
  • Building valid and sound arguments
  • Handling difficult questions
  • Presentations from participants and mock defense

Format

The course methods are interactive, allowing participants to practice their presentation and receive feedback.

Target Audience

Advanced doctoral candidates

Instructor Information

Dr. Malte Engel studied philosophy, psychology, and English. He finished his PhD at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain in 2010 and has been teaching courses on critical reasoning and logic since 2012.

Workload

• 13 hours of course attendance
• No additional workload, except for participants who give their full presentation during the course (maximally two participants)
• Participants can schedule an individual meeting with the trainer after the course

Special Features

• Registration is open for 24 hours, and course places are allocated by lot
• Course places/waiting list will be confirmed by email
• Full course attendance is mandatory
• Participants who fail to attend without prior notification or withdraw after the registration deadline are subject to a fee of CHF 30 and may not be considered for course registration in the following semester.